After Microsoft’s recent announcement of a more expansive, and if we’re honest, sexier Xbox Series S, we weren’t expecting another update from the company quite so soon. Unfortunately, the news isn’t as joyful as the previous lot. In a recent statement to The Verge, Xbox announced that it would be hiking the prices of the Xbox Series X – its flagship console – in most countries alongside a price hike for the company’s Game Pass subscription. Yup, that means South Africa must bear witness (and bare their wallets) to the coming onslaught of hikes.
Take a hike
Perhaps ‘onslaught’ is too much hyperbole. While South Africa is still waiting on an official announcement for a Series X price hike, we’re quite sure that we won’t be forgotten this time. Funny how that happens when there’s money on the table, right?
The hikes are coming into play to keep things fair across all of Xbox’s operating markets – and to better match its largest rival – the PS5. That’s according to Kari Perez, head of communications for Xbox, in a statement to The Verge.
“We’ve held on our prices for consoles for many years and have adjusted the prices to reflect the competitive conditions in each market.”
The new prices for the Xbox Series X, should they come to fruition in South Africa, will come into effect on 1 August 2023. We can guess, however, that the Series X will increase from its current RRP of R12,000 to R12,800 – the same as the PS5 in South Africa. It’s worth noting that the Series S’ price hasn’t been affected, and will stick with its current RRP of R7,000.
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Getting a (Game)Pass
We know that a hike is coming for Xbox’s Game Pass subscription service, with Perez confirming as much to The Verge. Fortunately, it’s a far less substantial one than that of the Series X’s potential increase. Both Game Pass Console and Ultimate will see new prices come into effect from 6 July for newcomers, while existing members will feel the new price from 13 August. Game Pass for PC and Family won’t budge and will retain their current pricing schemes.
The new prices for Game Pass in South Africa:
- Xbox Game Pass Console – R89 (was R79)
- Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – R129 (was R119)
If you’ve already stacked your year-long subscription, you’ve got nothing to worry about for a while. If you haven’t yet secured your annual sub, we recommend you learn to take a hint and get moving.